Conscious Shopping Made Easier
Shifting to Conscious Shopping is Something We Can All Do Together
More and more of us are realising that our grocery shopping should revolve around fresh, organic, real foods that we can prepare at home. "Conscious shopping" is simply the art of making more informed and ethical shopping choices. However that doesn’t really change just how busy we are in our everyday lives. Unless we’re prepared to make all the things we use in life, from deodorants to shampoo to washing powder, at home, there’s still a good chance we’ll need to visit our old regular supermarket aisles at least on occasion. And ultimately that means putting in considerable personal time and effort to make conscious decisions on every individual product we buy.
Finding brands that are reliably doing the homework for you has always been the great underlying promise of “branding”. Once you've looked properly at a product and are satisfied that it's safe, nutritious (if applicable) and ethically and sustainably produced, you can begin to develop a sense of trust in the brand that went to all that effort. You can explore how authentic the brand is in maintaining the standards it promotes, and perhaps see if they have other products. And you can tell your friends that about it.
Our lives are filled to the brim with all the "stuff" we have to get done to live in the 21st century. We follow our personal patterns because that's less stressful for us. So it isn't recommended to try to change all of your shopping habits, from retailers to purchases, all at one go. Instead it's better to decide on one item at a time to change, and to seek out where you can find the real, local, preferably organic (or better), ethically produced source for that one product. Maybe it's meat or dairy or vegetables. Maybe it's a personal care item like soap or deodorant or toothpaste. Even if you have to make a special trip to a different shopping outlet or market in order to get that one thing, incorporate that into your new, more conscious shopping routine and make a point of going just that little bit farther for that one thing each time you want to buy it.
As you add just one change to your routine, you'll discover that new and more conscious shopping choices will become obvious to you along the way. Your whole shopping routine will slowly begin to evolve. Don't stress over the things you still buy that have not yet become "conscious choices". Stress is the last thing you want, as it will cause you to shift back to old, more comfortable patterns. So take it slowly. Mkae one change, and let that change become a comfortable habit before you make the next conscious change.
As you go go through this slow and steady shift in your own shopping patterns, in the background the market around you will begin to shift - imperceptibly at first. We have all forgotten the immense power of every dollar we spend. However that single dollar - that single choice - that single change that you decide to make today and repeat again in the future will begin to change the world around you. Exercise that power with care and consciousness.